Weekend Overview
One of our most popular rides of the year. Explore this beautiful, rural corner of North Wales with some of the best gravel roads in the UK.
Choose between the punchy 53km short & 80km medium routes or take on the EPIC long route – 110km and over 2,300m of elevation, one of our hardest routes of the year.
All of the distances take in lovely varied route over rolling hills, through deep forests & around picturesque reservoirs. One of the bucket list places to ride on the gravel in the UK.
Highlights
- Ride the famous Monsal, Tissington & High Peak Trails through Peak District Natonal Park.
- Explore off the beaten track trails in the more remote Dark Peaks.
- Enjoy a weekend in beautiful Bakewell with plenty off activities off the bike and nice pubs for the evening.
Included in Entry
Fully Signed Route
Our team work tirelessly to create the best gravel routes in the UK. All courses are fully signed so you can just enjoy the ride.
Checkpoints with Proper Food
An epic ride deserves proper support. We have tea, coffee and cake at the first feed and sandwiches & crisps at the main feed. Checkpoints are approx every 30 - 35km
Accurate GPX Files
A few days before the ride, we will send GPX files for all of the route options so you can follow the course on your GPS as well as the signs.
Mechanics Available
At the rider village & at selected feed stops we have mechanics available to help with any bike issues. We also have spare inner tubes, CO2 & more .
Rider Support Vans
We are here to make sure you have a great day on the gravel. If you have any major mechanicals or need collecting, support vehicles are a phone call away.
Beer at Finish Line
You will be greeted at the finish line with a beer & food available from our food truck. Perfect to chat about your day with fellow riders.
Event Program
13th June: GPX files and pre ride briefing video sent by email to each rider.
14th June – 5pm: Campsite in Bakewell opens.
15th June – 8am to 6pm:Peak District Gravel Epic starts & finishes in Bakewell.
16th June – 8am to 6pm: Dark Peak Gravel Epic starts & finishes in Bakewell. Site closes at 6pm for riders and campers.
16th June – 7pm: Link to ride times & rider photos sent to each participant by email.
Peak District Gravel Epic
The classic gravel epic in the glorious Peak District.
Starting in Bakewell, we make our way to the Monsal trail to warm up the legs before we reach the biggest climb of the day at Miller’s Dale
After a quick feed stop, we head south on the Tissington Trail making the most of the re-purposed Victorian railway’s perfect gravel until it’s time to dive over the county boundary into Staffordshire.
We then head East to the High Peak trail with some lovely views of the Peaks and a couple of punchy little local climbs (including Larkstone Lane, a top 100 road climb averaging 6.2% over 1.9km).
After a final stop near Matlock, we head into the Moors with two punchy off road climbs (both 2.5km, save something in your legs for these!!) before a fun descent back into Bakewell.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 65%
Distance:
109km, 77km or 42km
Elevation:
1750m, 1200m or 550m
Difficulty:
4/5
Dark Peak Gravel Epic
Heading north from Bakewell we start on gravel and then after 6km hit the first of 6 climbs for the day. This climb is 2.3km at 7.7% all on tarmac before we hit the gravel around the quarries.
We then head north west with a punchy climb out of Calver (mix of road & gravel) and another mixed climb until we reach the top of Winnats Pass and head around Mam Tor on the broken road before heading to Castleton for our first feed stop.
From here we head onto the moors with another tasty gravel climb (2.4km at 8.5%) and head up to Heathersage and around the Redmires Reservoirs.
The way back to Bakewell takes us back on the moors with some wild and rugged views over the Peaks and some long, fast sections. Save something in the legs for the sixth and final climb at the 88km mark, but once you are over this 2km gravel climb it’s all downhill from there!
Percentage of Route Off Road: 55%
Distance:
92km or 55km
Elevation:
2200m or 1250m
Difficulty:
5/5
Short Route
A short, tough but very rewarding medium route. We follow the long route up to the reservoirs over a big back road climb and through lovely gravel in the forest before skipping the section round the reservoirs and a rapid descent back to Ruthin.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 75%
Distance:
53km
Elevation:
1150m
Difficulty:
3.5/5
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: Saturday’s ride is mostly off road on smooth gravel & old railway tracks. Sunday is a bit more mixed with some smooth gravel and rockier sections. Routes are designed for gravel bikes but mountain bikes will be fine but slower, road bikes are not allowed. E-bikes are allowed on all of our rides.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. A 40mm+ allrounder gravel tyre should be ideal for this weekend.
Packing List: Bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2 etc). We recommend a bell to warn walkers / runners of your presence.
Clothing: Should be nice weather in June but weather in the Peaks can change quickly and we go fairly high on both days so bring layers & a thin waterproof. Helmets are mandatory, you will not be able to ride without one.
FAQs
Both rides start and finishes in Bakewell. There is free parking onsite as well as toilets & refreshments. We will send the ride village address by email.
Yes, e-bikes are allowed on all Glorious Gravel ride. These must comply with UK law.
We have first aiders & mechanics at the feed stops. There will be a phone number on the back of your ride number – call this if you need collecting.
Yes, we start between 8am and 9.30am and set people off in small groups so the off road sections are not too busy. Please come to the start line with anyone you want to ride with, we will give a short ride briefing and set you off.